First Guitar Purchase

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Permalink Reply by Bob Quinn on June 9, 2009 at 12:34am

Hi Tyrone,

Yeah man...go for it!

Like Ed suggested, do your research and then try out a bunch of them. Are you looking to play an acoustic, or an electric guitar? Ibanez has some great guitars in their Artcore line...jazz box hollow body electrics.

Finding success with a guitar has a lot to do with fit...like buying clothing, or shoes.

In acoustic guitars there are different sizes which accomplish different things. Dreadnoughts for strumming or flatpicking tend to have more bass and are louder. OM (Orchestra Model) sized guitars, or smaller 00 or 000 or parlor guitars often are used by fingerstyle players and are more intimate, although a well made OM has a far reach. try some of these different sizes on for size and see how they feel..how they interact with your body. You're going to be conforming your person to the shape of this instrument for many hours at a time, give yourself time to make your descision, and do go out and sit with as many guitars as you can. There are many good choices at this pricepoint.

Oh yeah..Durr, LOL! Don't forget to listen! See how each guitar not only fits, but see if you also like the sound of the thing. Try some different tonewood combinations...spruce tops, cedar tops, rosewood back and sides, or mahogany back and sides for starters. Each has it's own characteristic sound. These guitars, they're all different..even if they're the same model from the same builder. You just have to sit and play with them until you feel the magic!

A few suggestions... the Epiphone Masterbilt line...all solid woods and many at this price point, Seagull Guitars...there are some very nice guitars at this pricepoint. Martin has some new interesting lower priced guitars these days as well.

Remember, when you buy a new guitar, typically it will need to be set up...intonation checked, neck relief, the height of the strings from the fretboard, otherwise known as "action" , and overall fitness and playablity are adjusted and optimized by a good luthier with knowledge of acoustic guitars...this is usually a 50.00 to 75.00 service.

Also, you'll need a good case to protect it from the elements. This can add another $50.00 to $100.00 depending on how fancy you want to go. You'll need to figure these costs in to your decision as well.

If you're in a dry area of the country, you'll need to keep the guitar humidified as well...dry conditions can cause wood to shrink and seriously damage your guitar!

So...take your time, go and find a few good dealers...if they don't address the issues of fitting the instrument to your body, and the kind of music you want to play...you're in the wrong shop! Don't let a salesman push you into something that doesn't fit you properly.

I'm sure that some of the others will chime in with more suggestions here shortly!

Happy Hunting Tyrone, and welcome to the world of the guitar!

Bob

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Permalink Reply by Tyrone Barton on June 9, 2009 at 5:52pm

Thanks for the input on selecting an acoustic guitar. This is going to be harder than buying a car.

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Permalink Reply by Ken Merrell on June 28, 2009 at 6:30pm

The good news is, there are a lot of really good entry-level guitars in your price range. The bad news is, there are a lot of really good entry-level guitars in your price range. I'd look at the Breedlove Atlas series and the Epiphone Masterbuilts for acoustics and the Epiphone Dots, Casinos and Gretsch acoustic-electrics for jazz electrics. Fender makes some nice Mexican Strats and Teles too. Good luck.

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Permalink Reply by Tyrone Barton on June 28, 2009 at 7:03pm

Any comments of Parkwood?

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Permalink Reply by Eric Oberg on June 28, 2009 at 7:48pm

I have played Parkwood guitars a few times and I was seriously considering getting one of their OMs. They didn't quite do it for me and I ended up with a Larrivee that time :) I do think the Parkwood guitars are a quality all solid wood instrument and if you like them they seem like a good sounding and playing guitar. I wasn't wild about the finish which is open pore and didn't have the feel I like. Parkwood are very nice guitars and a good value.

From the type of music that you like and want to play I would also take a look at 1 3/4 inch nut guitars. In the long run you might find that the style you play will be more comfortable with a wider neck.

In your price range you might also like the Seagull 15th Anniversary Mahogany Spruce [carried by GC.. since you mentioned Parkwood.] or one of the new Seagull wood series Seagull guitars. They would be a nice guitar that is professional level quality and with really nice sound and playability. I still sometimes regret selling my old Seagull S6 so I'm a little biased.

If you are planning on taking guitar lessons you might want to rent for a month of two and have your teacher help you choose an instrument or if you have any friends who play have them teach you a couple chords and help you out at the guitar store.

You might want to check out Taylor guitars in your price range and the new Martin One Series. I'll echo the other suggestions for Masterbilt, Guild GAD and the like. The most important thing is how the guitar feels. As in easy to play and feels good in your hands. The more I play the more I start to think that most guitars sound like guitars and the ones I really enjoy holding and playing I play more than guitars that might sound a little "better". I put better in quotes because in the realm of music it often seems like better means louder and/or more bass heavy.

When you do decide on what to buy ask if the store will do a set up on the guitar to make it easy to play. That may or may not be an issue with the particular guitar you choose but it can make a big difference if you like everthing about the guitar but you just find the strings a little hard to press.

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Permalink Reply by ZHMMY HARPER on June 29, 2009 at 11:34am

Hi Tyrone,

I do setups and repairs on stringed instruments and I've had most brands come through my shop. I'm also 73, so I've owned a lot of them personally. I do know quite a bit about guitars.

At the moment my main 3 guitars are a Martin J-1, Martin SPD-16K and a Walden G-3000. The SPD-16K is a bit out of your price range but the J-1 is an awesome guitar and within your price - if you are lucky enough to find one. That's a BIG "if".

The best sounding and playing one, and the one with the best overall quality that I've seen (for the price) is (gulp!) the Chinese made Walden G-3000. Look at all the features below. I did a setup on mine, and I can honestly tell you that it sounds, looks and plays better than any Martin I've ever owned. With a solid ebony fretboard, bone nut and saddle, solid Sitka Spruce top, solid Indian Rosewood back and sides, abalone rosette and beautiful craftsmanship, the Chinese Luthiers have simply upstaged Martin - and at a lower price.

There is one right now on eBay that you can probably get for an offer of $750. The item number is 290322127890. BTW, it comes with a very nice hard case. Check it out.

You might also check out my website, . I have a page dedicated mostly to links to lyrics and also some other links you may find interesting.

Now check out these specs - this is a keeper! Too bad about the political nature of China, but sometimes you just have to ignore politics. Real people make these guitars and you can tell they take pride in their work.

-Zhmmy

G3000 with Free Walden Hardsell Case
Body
body shape: Grand Auditorium
top material: Solid Sitka Spruce
back material: Solid Indian Rosewood
side material: Solid Indian Rosewood
soundboard bracing: "Pre-War" Scalloped-X
Neck material: Mahogany
nut : Bone
nut width: 1 3/4"
scale length: 25.6"
fingerboard: Solid Ebony
trussrod: 2-way adjustable
reinforcement: Carbon Graphite Rails
binding: Flame Maple and Wood
rosette: Abalone and Wood
tuners: Gold with tortoise buttons
logo: Pearl
bridge: Faceted Solid Ebony
saddle: Bone
endpins: Ebony
Finish: Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer

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Permalink Reply by ZHMMY HARPER on June 29, 2009 at 11:38am

Tyrone, the hyperlink to my website didn't seem to work, so here it is:

http://fretwalker.com/

-Zhmmy

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Permalink Reply by Teja Gerken, Senior Editor on June 29, 2009 at 4:07pm

Tyrone,
If you like the sound of players like Earl Klugh, Peter White, etc., then you should probably look for a nylon-string/classical guitar. They're actually a great choice for beginning players in general, as they're easier to play, due to their lower string tension. Definitely look for a guitar that has a solid top (either spruce or cedar), and you might even be able to find some models with solid back and sides at the upper end of your pricing. I'd stay away from built-in pickups and cutaways at this point, as these will detract from the actual quality that you'll be able to get at what's still a fairly entry-level price for a quality instrument. However, there are lots of options available, and you should be able to find an instrument that sounds great, is easy to play, and will last you for many years to come.

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Permalink Reply by Tyrone Barton on June 30, 2009 at 7:48pm

Ok. I paid $530 at GC for a Parkwood 320M on June 13. I'm still in the probationary period so I can take it back. Should I? What do you think of the Parkwood? I can and am willing to spend more for a better or more appropriate guitar. You suggest staying away from cutaways. So did the salesman at GC. Why is that? I do find that playing fret 15 and higher is a pain. Maybe it's due to the inflexibility of my virgin fingers. What guitars would you suggest? I'm in this for the long haul.

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Permalink Reply by Kyle Ober on July 1, 2009 at 1:20am

Can't say I know the Parkwood but for the same amount of money and usually less you can find a Seagull that will give guitars 3x the price a run for their money. The S6 is an amazing value for the money. At a price point above that I would likely gravitate towards a Larivee I played sometime back that was going for about $1600 .. I forget the model #

Regardless, it still comes down to your ears, playing style, your touch/dexterity and the type of music you are playing. As your ear becomes more educated to the nuances of the instrument and you become hopelessly addicted to playing guitar, you'll invariably walk this path several times to satisfy the addiction :-) And ... it doesn't necessarily get any easier ... LOL

Happy hunting

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Permalink Reply by Teja Gerken, Senior Editor on July 1, 2009 at 10:52am

If you like the Parkwood's sound and feel, then it will probably serve you well. I'm not recommending against cutaways in general, but at the lower price levels, you often get a better guitar by foregoing anything but the basic features.

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Permalink Reply by Dave Word on July 2, 2009 at 2:10pm

Hey,

I really got to throw in my towel for Walden. I've played Blueridge and can vouch for those as well. Both Chinese manufacturers owned by Americans that have figured out how to build a quality guitar for not alot of $$$. Also checkout Seagull. Just my 2 cents.

- Dave

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